Divorces are often messy and almost always emotional. When Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew tried to leave for Austin a few years ago claiming business problems, a lawsuit stopped them in their tracks. The Los Angeles Rams recently won the Super Bowl, and this past December St Louis – their former home city – received $790m as part of a settlement related to their relocation.
Relations sour quickly when a pro sports team up and leaves. Or threatens to. Or the numbers don’t add up. And things between Glendale and the Arizona Coyotes had been on the skids for years when a missed rental payment brought the disorder to national attention at the end of last year. Still, beyond the headlines, the Coyotes and Glendale divorce provides a grim and vivid tale about how things can go south for taxpayer subsidized sports ventures.
